Mission 017 Report – Positioning and Objectives
Alright, this mission was actually really fun to do myself. To catch everyone up, here’s the initial mission writeup:
To summarize, basically no primary weapons with burst 4 or greater (link bonuses are fine, as are assault pistols and dual wielding like Neo from the Matrix).
Some of you might be screaming that this is a huge handicap. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it’s more of a learning tool than a handicap. If you play your cards right and you have an army that fits this playstyle well (like Ariadna), it might actually be a buff.
Bottom line, the point of this exercise was to get you to stop shooting stuff, put your troopers in the right places, and do the mission. That might involve shooting stuff, but only if it helps you accomplish the mission.
To put my money where my mouth is, I did the mission at a 20 person tournament and came away placing third. I talk in detail about how the mission affected my lists and my games, particularly on Day 1. Day 2 less so, but hopefully after reading Day 1 you can pick up on some lessions in Day 2–I’ll admit I got fatigued writing so much detail and dropped some of it in Day 2.
It doesn’t always work though, and for that you can look at my game right after the tournament. Positioning is SUPER important for this playstyle, and I did not have it in this game:
It also requires some practice, so you can see my early forays into this playstyle here:
In any case, I shouldn’t be the only voice on this, which is why we have you wonderful folks write in!
Thanks to everyone who submitted, and congratulations to Daniel for being selected by random.org to win a blister of your choice or Bromad Academy patch!
Hauke (Capo.Paint)
We’ve got a first time Bromad Academy respondent here! Thanks for writing in, Hauke, and for representing Druze Bayram Security! –WiseKensai
Hello everyone!
I want to enter a slightly legal report to the actual academy mission, playing Druze against Aleph. As everything against Aleph should be in Nomads favour, I hope to be accepted, even with a fast dying spitfire in my list. Hopefully, you can work with the format and find the report good enough!
My deployment zone was the south one in the picture.
Best regards,
Capo.paint
(Hauke)
Overview
- Mission: Safe Area
- Forces: Druze versus ALEPH (300)
- Deploy First: Druze
- First Turn: ALEPH
Annhil
GROUP 1 |7
1
GROUP 2 |
DRUZE (X Visor) Combi Rifle + Light Grenade Launcher (E/M and Nimbus) / Viral Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 27)
BRAWLER (Multispectral Visor L2) MULTI Sniper / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 28)
HUNZAKUT (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Rifle + Light Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 18)
BASHI BAZOUK Submachine Gun, Chain-colt / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 12)
BOUNTY HUNTER Submachine Gun, Akrylat-Kanone / Breaker Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12)
PEACEMAKER Spitfire + AUXBOT_3 / Electric Pulse. (1 | 27)
PATHFINDER DRONBOT Combi Rifle, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 16)
KAMEEL Hacker (EVO Hacking Device) Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 25)
FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8)
5.5 SWC | 300 | Open in Infinity Army
Well, one B4 weapon was included, but since it had actually no impact on the game, I hope this report fits the mission. Thoughts behind are the efficiency of my REMs, supported by the EVO-Kameel and the flexibility of my links and the Druze at all. I switched a HMG for some improvements on other units towards the SMR as a second or third turn hitter. Normally, the HMG only gets action in turn 3, where the SMR linked with two other dudes could perform better. Group two should make a first run with the Peacemaker and also has the Bashi Bazouk coming from one side and picking out advanced pieces in front of my castle.
Deployment
Both sides got a Myrmedon to set up smoke and something to shoot through it. On the left, a Agema Marksman with MK12 made his run, on the right a Deva spitfire, while a Dakini backed up by a Proxy engineer was on ARO-dutys on a building on the left. Some other Dakinis scattered around, together with a Torakites. To support the left side, a Proxy spitfire was deployed there and a TO as well as a camo-marker went in the middle of the table.
I deployed my Peacemaker on the left flank a bit advanced, with the Auxbot in position to force bad decisions from the Agema and the Myrmedon. Unfortunately, the Peacemaker was too big to hide well. On the same side Eudoros was deployed to force his way there.
Turn 1
Top of 1 – ALEPH
Druze REMS started with B2 in ARO.
Eudoros ran towards the Peacemaker, got LoS and directly shot it down with his MK12. Now the central camo-marker started, advancing towards my link and ignoring ABH and Fugazi. I dicovered a Naga FO, and with the next order shot it down, but getting a mine in front of most of my ARO-pieces. The Proxy spitfire advanced towards the center. While the Fugazi tried a flash pulse, the link decided to dodge, to avoid the mine. The proxy got stunned, while the MSR-Brawler got killed by the mine. With the MSV2 away, smoke popped up on both sides. On the left, the Agema advanced, shooting down the ABH, on the right the Deva shot down the right Fugazi.Everything left went into suppressive fire.
Bottom of 1 – Druze
Without any visors, the left flank was nothing to be solved easily, but pressure on the right was even higher. The Brawler AHD advanced and a full link was reformed. The HRL now took out the Deva, the Dakini HMG and an other Dakini somewhere. To get LoS towards the Proxy spitfire, a full movement was needed, what left no order to change the link leader towards someone in a save spot. Of course, the HRL failed to shoot down the Proxy.
Turn 2
Top of 2 – ALEPH
Eudoros advanced, getting stunned by the left Fugazi, while on the right the Myrmedone set up smoke and advanced in front of my link. Trusting my armour, I took out the assaultpistol of the HRL to shoot the Myrmedone, killing him, but of course failing the save against the chain rilfe. Covered by smoke, the Agema took out the left Fugazi. The TO-marker also advanced towards my link, which indicated to be the Proxy AHD.
Bottom of 2 – Druze
To avoid the BSG of the Proxy AHD, this was the major target. To get it into bad decisions, the Druze KHD stood up, hoping for a bad shot of the Proxy or staying in camo, and failed at shooting a pitcher near to it. The Proxy shot her down. Now revealed, the Bashi Bazouk should finish it. Forgetting about the nanopulser, I failed with the SMG, but made my first save, leaving the Bashi alive. A new try with the SMG saw a BSG blast and killed the Bashi. With some orders left, plan c was enrolled and EM-grenades flew through the air. Proxy AHD got isolated, but the Torakites was missed. With this result, a shift in turn three towards the objectives should be possible.
Turn 3
Top of 3 – ALEPH
I had not planned with Eudoros here. Without any obstacles on the left side, he advanced to the building on the right with what is left of my link, climbed the ladder and shot everything he saw up there with his MK12 and the nanopulser. As always, no save was successful here and my viral pistols failed. With nearly everything down, I called it here.
Post Game Analysis
I’ve bolded a few key takeaway points that I want to draw your attention to — WiseKensai
With the need of taking the Hunzakut as liason officer to score save points, I was missing one important corner stone in my defense and had to deploy the SMR Druze on the left flank. Normally, he should be the back up for the core, when the ARO-weapons are dead. Now he was wasted on that side, blocked by a dead Fugazi and with terrible odds against ODD-troops. Most of the other things failing felt more like a bad match up with Druze against ALEPH. All tools I have, are easily countered by the standard-equipment of ALEPH-dudes, especially by the availability of nanopulsers. This dramatically reduces the efficiency of my low-range weapons, which I need to deal with all the visibility-penalties. This equipment also alters the usefulness of my flash pulses, which nevertheless performed well for what tasks they got to solve here! Stunning main attack pieces in their first order is always great and with WIP 13 the odds are always nice.
Regarding the mission: B3 HRL was far more dangerous than expected, while the enemies MK12s also performed better, than I expected. Especially against the Peacemaker with B2, I thought about better odds for no effect…The HRL took out most pieces out of suppressive fire, but could outrange them or at least got positions with bad mods for them, which made it successful. Bad mods were also the reason, why my Fugazis were weakened this game, but nevertheless did their job against spitfires and MK12. Placed on the right spot, where no shots from longer range were possible, they are a hell to deal with and are a pure order sink for the opponent.
To wrap it up: Going with low-burst weapons can work, but you need options to get them into a good shape. Fugazis need an EVO-device, a HRL link bonusses, as well as the SMR and infiltrators a nice spot to go for their targets. This needs some experience and a good eye for the table-set up – everything needs to be placed, where it can shine. But would I stick to this list? No. A previous version saw a HMG Druze and the Peacemaker with shotgun and is more suitable and fexible to get the use of positioning without loosing flexibilty. Higher burst and longer range from the HMG give me the flexibility to find positions, where I can manage around BS12 against well equipped targets as ALEPH has. Also the Peacemaker is a better and easier to place roadblock with the shotgun. You can deploy it together with the Auxbot in close corners and avoiding bad ranges better, than finding a spot where Auxbot and the spitfire could shine well.
Daniel
Daniel
Another first time respondent here! Thanks for writing in and representing USARF, Daniel. Welcome back to the hobby! Again, I’ve bolded things that I think are good lessons — WiseKensai
Hi,
Newish to infinity (more accurately new to N3) after a 5 year hiatus
This is a first time response from me. I just played a game using these criteria against a (great!) opponent who was playing with his full bag or tricks.
We played Power pack USARF va Caledonia Highlanders My list was USARF (which is also new to me)
USAriadna Ranger Force
GROUP 1 |3
GROUP 2 |
DEVIL DOG Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades + 1 K-9 Antipode / AP Heavy Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | 32)
FOXTROT (Forward Observer) Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 18)
MARAUDER Paramedic (MediKit) Rifle, Heavy Flamethrower / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (0 | 23)
MINUTEMAN (Forward Observer) Rifle, 2 Light Flamethrowers / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 23)
WILD BILL Rifle / 2 MULTI Pistols, Knife. (0 | 27)
HARDCASE FRONTIERSMAN Tactical Bow, Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12)
GRUNT (Inferior Infiltration) Heavy Flamethrower, Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 11)
WARCOR (Sixth Sense L1) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3)
2 SWC | 299 | Open in Infinity Army
Nathan (Jhokalups)
My first attempt at the Cyberpunk Hipster. While Seshia’s dice were hot and mine were shit, there was a lot I could have done differently.
This is the report from our first of the Tigerlands.
The mission really helped me shape my focus for how I wanted this game to play out.
Here is a game between me and Xammy. I am hoping he will write in his thoughts soon as well.
To sum them up: “I didn’t feel hampered by my gun choice at all” – Xammy
Jordan (sprocketgx)
Jordan played a USARF mirror match of Supplies at 300 points at a recent Tigerland event I ran. Takeaways in bold again. –WiseKensai
So I tried low burst with USARF against Marko, what I learned from it is I do rely on high burst. It’s not easy at first, looking at my options I should have deployed differently and used more spoke and camo markers. One option I should have used was have my devil dog flank my left, marko’s right, and CC or chain rifle the haris team of Marauders. Or I could have used my foxtrots to get the objective. My biggest mistake was not going first on the mission. That would have change my tactic by a lot.
Leif (norsecompass)
Y’all are in for a treat! We’ve got a giant of the US Pacific Northwest submitting to Bromad Academy! He’s both very good at Infinity and very tall, and is fresh off a 2nd place ranking at Best of the Pacific Northwest. It’s LEEEEIFFF! — WiseKensai
So, the challenge is to limit burst and the mission is Supplies.
My list is trying to work with that but also trying to contest AROs with some longer range pieces.
I’ve taken the Multi Rifle version of Achilles to get up close and personal. Acmon was an attempt to use Nimbus to temper link team ARO’s but I never used him due to positioning.
My opponent ran Tunguska, with a Hollow man core (with a stempler), two Zondnautica, a Lunokhod, a Clockmaker and an Interventor.
I took first turn and set up first to try and smoke the boxes and capture the supplies fast.
I started out by revealing my TO sniper that had infiltrated up toward the right to take out his Stempler with enfilading fire. This would reduce the 5 “man” link to a 4, making it much less deadly.
Then I knew I had to remove those bikes so up the left flank went Achilles. Bike one was able to smoke dodge twice while I was closing outside of 16”. Once I was inside 16” I was able to murderize him. Unfortunately it also meant that I was inside the range of his Interventor HD+ and The second zondnaut with AHD! Both failed to do anything. Whew. I had honestly forgotten that they would be dangerous to Achilles. But now that I knew/remembered where the interventor was I kicked the door down and murderized him as well, getting Achilles isolated in the process. No matter, I have a Shukra! Totally worth it.
Then I coordinated some myrmidons and the doctors up the field, grabbing the boxes and retreating with them while covering the prone holloman position with an ODD chain rifle.
Poor Tunguska was in LOL. 4 command tokens were spent turning orders regular. He elected not to run into a building that contained achilles with his Zondnautica, but instead move his Lunokhod up to take out the Myrmidon. That soaked up a good 3 orders and lost him his REM, good trade. He tried to stand up the missile launcher Hollow Man and shoot my HRL Proxy, but nothing came of it. And that was his turn.
For my second turn I just needed to kill or lock down his forces so they couldn’t come and get my precious supply boxes (I had 2 and was confident that the third was well defended).
Achilles started with his impetuous and got into combat with the Zondnaut’s REM. I tried to be sneaky and nanopulse them both but didn’t do any damage and got imm-1. I ran a Naga up to put a wound on the missile launcher Hollow man and mine the link team. Then i shuffled some more guys forward a bit and passed turn.
His second turn was more effective. His zondnaut moved impetuously toward Achilles but going around the bot to draw LOF to Achilles. Then he hacked to Immobilize Achilles once again (I think you can hack as an impetuous order, it is an attack) while the bot was exploded by a sword. He then followed that up by running a helper bot out to clear the two mines I had worked so hard to lay and shooting my Naga into dogged. Drat! This was followed up by the Missle launcher attempting to clear out my HRL proxy and promptly dying, permanently breaking the link. He then was able to move his spitfire up and take out my TO sniper proxy but lost it to the HRL proxy the next order.
My last turn and I need to get some classifieds done! I can’t risk getting my doctor up to scan the unconscious hacker because that would put a box too close to his lines. My other is follow up, and the only MI or HI I have is my Proxy HRL. Time to get truckin’. He runs his chunky butt forward to get LOF on the HVT (and in ZoC for secure) and nabs Follow up before going into suppression to lock down all remaining avenues for forward movement by the enemy. Man I love this trooper! Oh and did I mention that Achillies exploded the last Zondnaut? Cause yeah he totally did, then came to get LOF on the lane out of the enemy DZ.
Last turn for Tunguska and there are three orders. The hacker Hollow man tries to make a break for the last box but gets gunned down on the second order.
That was it. Sorry Bromads, the AI has won this round.
I have to say, I didn’t really feel the loss of high burst weapons since the enemy was null deployed, save for wanting Achilles to have the extra burst once he came around the corner. I Also intentionally took a TO multi-sniper as my long range gun fighter for this purpose. She will usually win fights and clear the way for the knife fighters to get close. Infiltrating that piece can also be deadly to attack from oblique angles and pick off weak links. lastly, on positioning, it can be great to have a hard to dig out sacrificial piece that you can plant right in the face of the enemy. They usually lose their big gun bonuses, and have to dig the guy out, wasting orders to do so. If you find a path to place an obstacle close in go for it. If that obstacle can be put into Suppressive fire then all the better!